Copyright Charleston Post and Courier
MYRTLE BEACH – Public safety has been a constant topic of discussion in Myrtle Beach, especially with five people vying to be the next mayor. The beachside tourist destination has about 40,000 residents but boasts more than 18 million visitors annually. Drawing nicknames like "Murder Beach," it has also been the site of several high-profile shootings among 20 weapons-related incidents in 2025. Among those that garnered national attention was the April 26 police shooting that left one dead and 11 injured on Ocean Boulevard. Less than a month later, officers stopped a vehicle with masked people on the south end of the beach. During a pursuit, authorities said one of the men in the vehicle used an AR-style rifle to fire at police. The chase ended on 67th Avenue North when the vehicle crashed. On June 27, an 18-year-old was shot and killed at one of the city’s tourist hubs, Peaches Corner on Ocean Boulevard. A 17-year-old Peaches employee was charged with murder. City leaders responded to some of the public safety concerns with a stricter juvenile curfew ordinance. The police department also added the SoundThinking ShotSpotter gunshot detection system, which uses acoustic sensors to pinpoint gunfire so officers can quickly respond. But the city has struggled to recruit police officers. Police Chief Amy Prock has said there are more than 40 open positions with the department, which has over 215 full-time employees. Prock maintains Myrtle Beach faces the same issue other departments are facing nationally – it's harder to hire and retain qualified officers. In 2024, Prock said, the city hired 34 officers. But the agency has only hired nine in 2025 even though there were 2,000 applications. There are at least 1,000 openings for police officers across the state, according to S.C. Law Enforcement Association. Officials said the demand for officers is outpacing the number of qualified graduates from the academy. The city has increased police officer salaries more than 47% since 2021 with certified officer salaries climbing to $64,792 annually. In addition to posting videos on social media to help recruit officers, the department is using a Jeep Gladiator with wraps, a police theme paint job and lights along the running boards. The Jeep truck will be used at events and career fairs including a criminal justice fair in Michigan. So, how will those running for mayor improve public safety? The candidates offer a variety of solutions. Brenda Bethune Mayor Brenda Bethune, 61, has served two terms as the city’s mayor. "We have hired 30 new officers over the last few years, and our retention rate is 88%. To me that is success. But we aren’t stopping there,” she said. “Some believe that once the open positions are filled that it will result in more officers on the streets, but that’s not necessarily the case. We backfill the open slots with overtime and by using mutual aid agreements with other law enforcement agencies during our peak season and large special events." She added the city will continue to collaborate with the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce for recruiting while constantly evaluating pay and benefits. And the one idea is to incentivize officers to recruit their own friends and family. She said the city is meeting with boulevard business owners to share ideas as well as conducting a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design study on Ocean Boulevard. The study, she said, is expected to include action plans to add more lighting to create a vibrant and safe environment. Bethune said she has learned a lesson from the 2025 shootings. "I learned that we need faster communication with our community," she said of the four days that passed without a statement from the city’s leadership after the April 26 shooting. "We could have, and should have, immediately come out with a statement. We owe that to our community, our businesses and our visitors." Bethune said she does not have direct control over the police department, but she is "supportive of more stringent policing strategies that our PD believes can be implemented. Myrtle Beach became famous for being a family friendly destination that is affordable for everyone. We must do whatever it takes to change the negative perception that some have." Daniel Aumen Daniel Aumen, 46, is an active-duty member of the South Carolina State Guard. He has never run for office and has said he approaches each issue by simply allowing experts and community members to shape the solutions. As for improving public safety, Aumen is taking a diversionary approach of making sure the locals and tourists are happy. He believes the happiness will spread and force positive change. "If we need officers, we'll hire them. If we don't, we will use the budget to support maintenance of what we have,” he said of waiting to hear from the experts and analyzing data before fully answering the question. “As a suggestion, some ways to improve public safety are to provide educational, interesting, fun and healthy options to as many people as possible. And to have some flexibility in enforcing to affect positive change in the community. I'm sure other people that have already been doing this already know. “Maybe a glow in the dark airsoft arena, maybe a roller-skating rink with music, lights, maybe a pool hall with pool tables, something for the kids to do. Remodel the recreation center. Put some life into things. It keeps people engaged in a way that you can tell them what you're doing and why, and they stay engaged anyway.” Aumen said he responded to the Post and Courier's questions quickly "so take it as more of a conversation starter than stone doctrine." Mark Kruea Mark Kruea, 68, retired in 2024 after nearly 26 years as the spokesman for the city of Myrtle Beach. "The demand exceeds the supply of police officer candidates, locally and nationally, although other jurisdictions have had more success than Myrtle Beach has in filling vacancies," he said of a four-prong hurdle hurting the beach’s recruitment. The first prong is making sure the officers are paid well given the hard, dangerous and long hours required. "The second issue is recruiting. Whatever the city has done for recruiting isn't working, so it's time to try additional and alternative recruiting methods," Kruea said of the city’s partnership with the chamber to recruit officers. "These positions have been vacant for five years already. Where's the lightbulb moment? The fire department recruits successfully. Perhaps we follow that example?" The third issue ties in with the other two – the workload is heavy meaning it should be considered when setting salaries. And if an open position is filled, it will decrease the workload, he said. The final prong is understanding the important role management plays in job satisfaction, recruiting and retention. "We do not need to create a police state in our public spaces, such as Ocean Boulevard, but the police presence – or the city's presence – needs to be obvious," he said. "By definition, a safe atmosphere is a family-friendly environment that is welcoming, attractive and entertaining, where protection measures are visible. The city can do more to publicize the camera systems which are in place and which produce good results. We can listen to the business community and create a friendly environment, rather than barricading the boulevard and creating an impression that something bad has occurred.” Mark Struthers McBride Mark Struthers McBride, 61, was on city council for one term, 1994-1998, and was the mayor for two terms beginning in 1998. Since losing the mayor’s post to John Rhodes, McBride as gone on to lose seven elections – three runs to get the mayor’s post back, another loss to sit on council, Republican primaries for the U.S. House and Senate as well as the state House of Representatives. McBride also has a multi-pronged approach, but he said it’s the same one he has had for 10 years. "I've actually, frankly, had that plan since 2015. As I've said multiple times, I came up with the plan in ’15. I got defeated in ’17. I got defeated ’20, ’22, and now this is the fifth time I've bought this plan, the fifth time in the last 10 years," he said. "I just hope and pray that everybody will open their eyes and wake up to the solution that's been before us the whole time." The first prong is funding, McBride said, and it can be accomplished by telling the chamber that the city does not want to contribute 80% of the local option sale tax (Tourism Development Fee) for the chamber use in advertising the Grand Strand. He said the 20% earmarked for property tax reduction will remain as is in his plan. McBride is calling for $20 million of the chamber’s allotment of the sales tax to go back to the city to be used for public safety. With that money, he said, the salaries could go up, and the department could buy the latest equipment. McBride, in keeping with his promises from 2015, would fill the open positions and add 100 more officers using the money that had previously been allocated to the chamber. But to accomplish that, the city would have to ask its local delegation of state officials to change the law so the city can access the money for that purpose. "And why is that important? Because as Myrtle Beach goes, our area goes. As Myrtle Beach gets beat up, and as we're the butt of jokes, that reflects on the state. That reflects on state tourism," he said. "All those legislators from across the state, all those senators that used to come here and vacation and bring their families and all their constituents. The five million people in South Carolina will know Myrtle Beach is serious about public safety and they'll know that we're going to clean it up." The rest of his equation is more succinct. "Two. Management change. Chief gone. You have to have a chief that is respected, one that is a strong leader, one that the officers would want to work for," he said. "Currently, a weak chief who continually makes excuses and promises improvement but doesn’t." Finally, McBride said the city should do an overhaul of operating procedures, including allowing officers to stop and frisk, walk beats and update the polices in writing. He has said before the pursuit policy should be updated or changed, citing the May incident with the AR-style rifle. McBride pointed out the chase ended after Horry County Police officers came in for mutual aid. Eva Perez Rigney Eva Perez Rigney, 71, is a Realtor and has never held elected office. She has lived here sine 2014. Rigney reiterated public safety would be better if her idea of installing a public safety gate on Ocean Boulevard for one block was instituted. "The gate would alert officers to anyone who might be bringing weapons into the monitored area, allowing plain-clothes officers to quietly observe and step in early if something seems off. It’s a practical, non-intrusive way to give our police better situational awareness and prevent problems before they start," she said. She also agrees recruitment and retention are issues faced statewide. "If we already know recruitment and retention are major challenges, then it only makes sense that we start thinking outside the box," she said. "Everyone talks about adding numbers, but nobody talks about fixing the system that makes it hard to keep those numbers stable. If there were a magic formula to calculate the perfect number of officers, I’d use it. But there isn’t – there are too many variables: population shifts, seasonal changes, and the types of crimes we deal with. That’s why relying only on hiring isn’t enough." She said the city needs to use "smarter tools and better strategies." like updating the camera systems around the city. "Simply saying ‘hire more officers’ doesn’t fix the problem – it ignores the root of it. My plan builds directly on what I’ve already said: improve recruitment and retention while strengthening public safety through technology and community cooperation. That means rebuilding morale in the department by replacing ineffective leadership, ensuring fair treatment, competitive pay and a positive work environment where officers feel valued," she said. "In short, yes – filling those positions will be a top priority, but we’ll do it the right way: with data, smarter tools, and stronger leadership that supports both our officers and our community." Rigney added there are other steps she would implement to reduce crime such as fostering relationships with local businesses, placing large signs in parking lots, reminding people to lock their cars and keep valuables out of sight, having loudspeakers in parking lots at Broadway at the Beach and other shopping centers, and reminding people to lock their doors and hide their belongings. And like McBride, she plans on starting with Prock. "Real change has to start at the top – with a new chief who can rebuild trust, restore morale, and bring honor and fairness back to the department,” she said. The election is Nov. 4. Serving a four-year term, the mayor is paid $50,000 annually and also receives a $500 monthly car allowance.
